What the Team Saw
by Cackymn
Summary: In which our friends discover that Team Gibbs is more like Team Tibbs. ;-)
1. Dorney

**AN: Haven't tried my hand at a team POV since Merry Misdirection. Please let me know what you think! Dorneget gets to take the first bow. Disclaimer: I'm still broke, so no. Spoilers: Not in this chapter. Warnings: Really? Thank you for reading - it means a lot to me!**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Dorney**

"What do you mean, you finally saw it? Saw what?"

"C'mon, McGee. You know what I'm talking about."

"No, Dorney, I don't."

"Okay, let's take it from the top, then. What did you ask me when I walked in?"

"I asked how your day went."

"What did you ask me exactly?"

"How was your day in the field with Agents Gibbs and DiNozzo?"

"Oh, no you don't...I see what you're doing! You're being clever and stubborn and that's making my case for me!"

McGee drew his brows together in annoyance, but Ned Dorneget was having too much fun to let it go, that much was obvious.

"Verbatim, Tim. This is what you said: 'How was your day with Gibbs and Tony?' not 'Agents Gibbs and DiNozzo.' Nobody around here talks like that anyway. Then _I_ said 'I finally saw it' and _you_ suddenly got your panties in a wad."

McGee tried a blank stare but it wasn't really his specialty, and the younger man's musical laugh took on a note of triumph. Tim sighed.

"Really, McGee? Please tell me you didn't think I wouldn't notice! What I want to know is how it stays out of the rumor mill."

This time McGee laughed, involuntarily. _Gibbs._ Well, Tony too - each had his own way of hiding in plain sight, but only Gibbs had the whole building frightened half to death. Ned blushed as he caught his mistake, but he kept challenging Tim with a teasing grin, and with his eyes. Denial was going to be fruitless at this point.

"We don't talk about it, Dorney."

"Not ever?" Ned asked with a wink.

McGee rolled his eyes. "Now who's being clever?"

Of course it wasn't true that they didn't talk about it. Abby and Ducky kept sensitive fingers on the individual and collective pulses of Team Gibbs in all matters. Tim and Tony were friends, as were Tony and Palmer. And thinking of Palmer, a.k.a. Black Lung, the seemingly nervous, somewhat bumbling, directionally challenged Autopsy Gremlin - well, Jimmy had long since proven to be the most stable personality among them - loyal, discerning, and wise beyond his years.

So, yeah, they talked about it. They just didn't talk about it to anybody else. Where Dorneget fit into the picture was something McGee was trying to decide, was going to have to deal with because the junior agent now understood that 'Gibbs and Tony' also meant 'Gibbs&Tony.' Did Dorney get into the club simply by being gay? Did it make him an immediate and unquestionable ally or might that be a foolish assumption? McGee had never gotten anything but good vibes from the younger man. In fact he considered him a good agent and a friend, and Dorney had certainly never shown anything even approaching a dearth of respect for the Senior Agent and his SIC. Tim decided to go with his gut.

"Dorneget, you wanna go get some coffee or something?"

* * *

There was nothing pressing going on in the office, and Gibbs and Tony were still upstairs with the Director when Tim and Ned made their way outside. The brilliant sunshine, unoccupied benches and the quaintly familiar environs of the coffee-cart worked their usual magic. Topics off-limits in the bullpen were approachable here, could be carried off on the breeze instead of being funneled straight into the security feeds, the inquiring minds of other agents, or the preternaturally sharp and ever-present ears of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Tim and Dorneget settled down with their coffees.

McGee rolled out the opening gambit. "So? What did you see?"

"Well first off, there was this girl."

There always was.

"At the paper company. We were getting samples to compare to our evidence. So Agent Gibbs introduces us and Tony just starts talking. The girl looks away from Gibbs like he was never there and DiNozzo is explaining about the samples we need and the dates of sale and stuff, except he's making it sound like a marriage proposal complete with an early honeymoon."

"We've all heard _that._"

"Yeah, sure, but it's just that Gibbs wasn't nearly as amused as I expected. I tried to catch his eye but he was watching DiNozzo. And this girl, she's eating it up. She's all over Tony like he's made out of _honey."_

Tim grinned. He knew the script, backward and forward.

Dorney went on, clearly excited. "So Tony has this shit-eating grin on his face and he's throwing glances at Gibbs here and there, and if Tony is the honey and the girl is the bee, then Gibbs is the exterminator. His glare could have blasted her through the nearest wall. And then when she put her hand on Tony's arm..."

"Wait, she _touched_ him?"

"Yes! And Gibbs' back went really straight and he took, like the deepest breath _ever."_

"Welcome to my life. Did she even notice?"

"No! She kept moving in. I thought she was going to _sniff_ him, or check him for fleas or something! So then Tony goes all shy and smug at the same time, like 'mission accomplished,' only he's not looking at her. She goes off to get the stuff, and Gibbs is pretending to look around the office, but he's balancing on his toes and his hands are twitching. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it."

"And that was just the warm-up."

Dorney looked at McGee in awe. "Wow, you really _have_ seen this before, haven't you?"

"Only since I got here. Did he head-slap him?"

"Oh, yeah! On the way out of the building. I mean I thought Tony would keep a safe distance, I know _I_ would, but he just walks out shoulder-to-shoulder with Gibbs and lets him smack him one. It was total..."

"Don't say it..."

"Foreplay!"

Tim made a mental note to call Tony after work. There was nothing he could do about it now. Dorney was in.


	2. Jimmy

**AN: **First, **thank you** to all the readers and commenters on Chapter One, and for the pm's, faves, and follows - that is so very exciting for me and it is truly appreciated! This chapter takes place early on, not long after the arrival of Palmer. I'm thinking ahead to the trust we saw from Tony for Jimmy in "Bounce" and about where that may have begun. **Spoilers:** "Dead Man Talking" **Disclaimer:** Look in my pockets. **Acknowlegements:** shout-outs to my bionic ear **Laia de la Luz** and to **K9Lasko** for some very cool talks about Tony. Chapter Three will take this up again before I move on to other team members. And what they saw. :-) **Feedback:** I would love to know what you think of it! _Cacky_

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**What the Team Saw - Chapter Two: Jimmy**

"To thine own self be true!" Tony crowed drunkenly, and this time Jimmy heard it distinctly - the bitter edge he thought he'd imagined as Tony told the tale of Agent Pacci's death, bitterness that to Palmer's not-entirely-sober but still sensitive ear, had not been directed solely at the loss of life.

"Tony I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up something so..."

"S'okay, Palmer, I know you didn't, _s'not_ your fault. It's Kate's... she never stops reminding _everybody_ I 'took one for the team' - pretty innapru, _inapro_ - pretty messed up if you ask me, which you _did _by the way, and I've been a _very_ good boy for not slapping her _face_ off, figgerativly a-course, cause it was really Pacci's guts in the _ella-vader_ not _me_ inna bar witha _tranny_ that should shock th' senses, but hey, I'm not _her_..."

"Okay, Tony, that's it, I'm putting the booze away."

"_Booze, vino! _In vino veritas! In wine there's truth, an the truth sh'll make you free! What price freedom! Buy one, get one free!"

Jimmy got up and gathered the detritus of another night of drinking with Agent DiNozzo. Sometimes he still couldn't believe Gibbs' senior agent had taken such a liking to him, but there it was, and this night had begun innocently as the rest, that is until he'd asked Tony why Kate was always running on about some apparently scandalous incident from last year. So now he knew about Pacci, and Voss, and a stake-out gone wrong, and Tony's impromptu cover almost costing him his life, and what was starting to sound like a whole bunch of other stuff if he weren't mistaken.

A trip to the kitchen trash and a detour to the bathroom had Jimmy thinking furiously. Tony was doing more than letting off steam tonight, he was in some kind of pain and it was rubbing off like a contagion, leaving Jimmy wondering if he were sober enough to help or drunk enough to even try. Normally he wouldn't presume, but tonight's ramblings had not been of the fun-and-casual variety. Tony had sounded obsessed, wildly agitated, almost desperate in a way. Jimmy mused silently - about why that was making him feel both concerned and irritated - and wobbled back into his living room to find Tony muttering to himself.

"...and _Gibbs._ Gibbs winds up shooting her in the _head!_ Why iddn't _that_ fucking hilarious, Katey? Cause it's _not_, tha's why. You should be worried bout_ him._ Doesn't anybody care about that? How many people he's hadta _kill?_ Christ... How'd you figger out she was Voss, Boss? Voss. Boss. That _rhymes,_ Boss... I made a rhyme..."

Little pieces started falling into place from all over, and Jimmy pushed his glasses up on his nose. He moved to sit across from his friend.

"You're not mad at Kate at all, are you, Tony?"

Jimmy studied the confused grin as Tony considered the question he clearly considered ridiculous.

"Mad at_ Kate?_ Who could be mad at Kate? _Katey's_ juss bein' _herself_. Everybody should be themself...theirself? Themselves. Shouldn't they, Palmer?"

"Of course they should, Tony. Isn't that what you think?"

"I think so."

Jimmy sighed and rose yet again. "I'm getting you a pillow and a blanket, Tony."

"Mmph. Thanks...tha'd be swell."

"Don't mention it." Jimmy proceeded to make the older man comfortable, even remembering to take off his shoes, then he turned down the lights and headed off to bed.

"Good night, Tony."

"G'night, Palmer. 'Night, Boss."


	3. More Jimmy

**AN:** Sincere thanks to all readers, commenters, faves, and followers!This chapter does what I promised and follows up on Chapter Two. I didn't polish it as much as I usually do, but I'm tired of spending months on every piece and wanted to push a little. **Disclaimer:** Nope, not mine. **Spoilers:** Yep. Dead Man Talking and a brief reference to Palmer's dalliance with a certain female character. Not really concerned with the timeline on that one. **Acknowledgements:** All my wonderful fanfic influences. :-) **Feedback:** Of course, please! _Cacky_

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**More Jimmy**

Was Agent DiNozzo immune to hangovers? Jimmy was a little queasy, a bit swollen of head and furry of tongue, but Tony was up and about as if he hadn't drunk dangerous amounts of liquor, wine, and beer just a few hours prior. He was dressed, humming, and clattering in the kitchen when Jimmy emerged, bleary and blinking. Okay, another legendary drinker with an iron constitution - he really shouldn't be surprised, Palmer thought with a sigh until he saw the clutter Tony was clattering with.

Bottled OJ, tomato juice, Alka-Seltzer, vitamins, the whole kit. Tony's back-pack sat open on the island and Jimmy watched him play happily with his morning-after supplies, his movements determined and practiced.

"Oh, hey Palmer!"

"Good morning, Tony. I...I guess I didn't expect you to be up..." It was the first time DiNozzo had gotten smashed enough to stay over.

"You got any eye cream, firming gel, anything like that? I can't find mine and good looks like this don't come cheap."

"Uh, no... I don't think so." Jimmy was trying to wrap his head around all that Tony was revealing to him this weekend, and there it was again - that feeling of irritation. Tony was as glib this morning as he had been upset the night before.

"I can hear you thinking, Palmer." Tony caught his eye for the first time and shot him a sour look before flashing his teeth. "You should come on my run with me." The second statement caught Jimmy off guard and he instantly felt bad for scrutinizing the older man, for judging him. An awful lot went into being an armed federal agent.

"Run? Oh, God, how can you even... You drank three times as much as I did!"

"You really have no idea, do you? You work out?"

Jimmy grinned sheepishly. "Only in climate-controlled comfort. I guess criminals don't give you guys that option, do they?"

"Not as a rule."

"And if your fitness evals dropped, Agent Gibbs would probably skin you..."

Tony's head snapped around at the mention of the name and the younger man's brain did another twist, catching up a step with what his ears had been telling him the evening before. The flash in Tony's eyes disappeared behind his game-face, and Jimmy changed the subject.

"Feel free to borrow my shower when you get back, if you want."

"Thanks, Palmer, I will."

Jimmy took another look at the determined set of DiNozzo's mouth and blurted, "How do you do it, Tony?"

The grin was back. "It's not that hard, Jimmy-boy. You just don't think about it." Tony grabbed a bottle of water and was gone.

* * *

Well, whatever "it" was, Tony had certainly been thinking about it last night.

Forensic medicine was teaching Jimmy there was more to everything than met the eye. Dr. Mallard was of the belief that there was more to every_one_, and he should know. The doctor also put a high premium on compassion and it was through this lens that the young Palmer considered Agent DiNozzo as he jogged out the door, accompanied by the things about which he did not think.

And as for that, wasn't it sometimes true that not thinking about something was another way of saying you thought about it all the time? Now Jimmy could hear him_self_ thinking, but he couldn't have stopped if he'd wanted to. His mind was puzzling on the knot that was Tony, and he knew it wouldn't rest until it had worked at least a few strands loose.

Sometimes he liked to imagine Dr. Mallard at his shoulder with his ready wisdom, and Jimmy did so now, not wanting his concern for Tony to fall to the level of an unseemly curiosity. "Unseemly" was very much in the Dr. Mallard vocabulary - it carried more censure than "inappropriate" and less hostility than "none of your damn business," which would undoubtedly be the Gibbs version.

_Gibbs. _

_Boss. _

_You should be worried 'bout _him,_ Katey. _

_I made a rhyme, Boss. _

_'Night Boss. _

Jimmy mulled Tony's mutterings and began to feel something he recognized - the thrill of revelation. It came with the discovery of pathology within the human body, the tell-tale signs of disease or more sadly, a cause of death. It was something from which the pursuer did not flinch, not if he cared about the truth and not if he wanted to be of any help. Could the same hold true for a friendship? Did he have any right to delve into what ailed Tony's heart?

Some solid assessment was in order if Jimmy were going to continue down this path. The people he worked with weren't perfect, but in his opinion they stood apart from much of the rest of the world by not putting themselves first. Whether their passion was for pure knowledge or for justice, their foremost quality was dedication and it was this that Jimmy felt he legitimately held in common with them, green as he was.

So what was it about last night that had not only aroused his caring instincts but was pissing him off? Was the alcohol indeed a truth serum or only a poison that muddled both thought and feeling? Tony had displayed sorrow over Pacci and regret for Commander Voss. He'd used the pronoun "she" where others had surely referred to Voss as "he," deeming his transformation bizarre, or in the case of Kate, laughable. Tony had refused to be angry at Kate, calling her insensitivity a form of honesty. His concern for Gibbs had been complex at the very least, both protective and wistful, in a word - personal. What if anything was Tony saving for himself? That bitter irony that had set Jimmy's teeth on edge?

_To thine own self be true. _

_Everybody should be themselves, shouldn't they, Palmer?_

_Of course they should, Tony. Isn't that what you think?_

_I think so._

_'Night Boss._

Oh, Tony.

Agent DiNozzo would be back from his run soon enough and Jimmy was already very nervous. He washed his face and did a few dishes. He put away the pillow and blanket he'd provided for Tony's scant comfort. He had a short inner exchange with Dr. Mallard, and in his heart did the only thing he thought was right, what his friends did at the end of the day, of every day. He took a stand.

* * *

Tony had scarcely gotten through the door before Jimmy began, afraid of losing his nerve and certain he was quaking visibly.

"Welcome back, Tony. H...how was your run? Are, are you feeling more like yourself?"

"Thanks. Fine. Sure, I guess..." Tony replied after a quick glance and a breathless snort, then his gaze hardened as he realized Jimmy had been waiting for him, just standing there stock-still in the middle of the living room. "...whatever that's supposed to mean. Alright, Palmer, what's up?"

Jimmy had expected no less, and he forged onward, lightheaded and frankly terrified. "I...I'm talking about you being bisexual."

Agent DiNozzo froze in pure shock, long enough for Jimmy to see his gaze turn inward before the reaction kicked in, too little and too late. He looked over his shoulder as though Jimmy must be addressing someone else, and when his head swiveled back around his eyes were a little wild. "Palmer! You should have told me you'd taken up crack-smoking, I could have gotten you some help..."

Jimmy was shaking in earnest now, could feel the perspiration on his face, but he refused to look away from Tony's eyes, not even when he had to push his glasses back up on his nose. He cleared his throat and forced the words out in a trembling voice, uttering silent prayers for his continued existence and feeling his own eyes going wider all the while.

"You're bisexual and you're in love with Agent Gibbs..."

Tony paled and then colored by turns. He strode forward, barely containing himself. His brows arced toward his hairline and his mouth opened, but no amount of incredulity was answer to such a direct assault and they both knew it. Breathing hard, they stared at one another in silence until the battle of wills collapsed into irrelevance under the weight of the truth. Jimmy wanted to fall through the floor or perhaps just pass out, but it was too late to do anything.

"You ever been thrown out of your own apartment, Palmer?" Tony's voice was low and dangerous. "Via the window?"

Jimmy's nervous system was telling his every fiber to flee, so he concentrated on just his feet, instructing them not to move. By some miracle they didn't, and he filed the grudging respect he saw in Tony's eyes under "take very seriously." Their gazes remained locked, but Jimmy calmed the pounding of his heart and engaged his vision, watching as Tony DiNozzo weighed the situation at hand. The older man pursed his lips and exhaled through his nose, then nodded towards the bathroom, his hands moving distractedly at the ends of his arms.

"I'm going to take that shower, Palmer. Then I'm going to come back out. When I do that, when I come back out...? If you're dumb enough to still be where I can see you? And this is only because you put me up overnight, mind you..." Tony stilled and shook his head before turning away. "I guess we can talk. Your call."

* * *

Jimmy collapsed on the couch and absently noted the closing of the bathroom door and the sound of running water. After he finished checking himself for signs of stroke he cleaned the coffee table and sat down to wait, a little undone by the permission he'd been granted and hoping he knew what to say now that he had it, if he really did have it. He'd reinterpreted much of his experience of Tony, and of Gibbs, while Tony had been out running, but that didn't change the fact that he'd likely bitten off more than he could chew.

Almost before he knew it a freshly showered and dressed Tony was sitting across from him - calm and earnest, aware, calculating - and Jimmy knew that the awe in which he held DiNozzo and the other field agents was not unearned. For some reason he grinned idiotically, and Tony smiled back in warning.

"Okay, Palmer, spill. Out with it. Tell me about this little theory of yours."

Jimmy fought off a moment of bewilderment, suddenly uncertain of who sat before him. _Agent_ DiNozzo could take and wield the upper hand, eat him for lunch if he so chose, so Jimmy did as he was told...and spilled.

"Tony." _Tony._ "It was last night - you were _so_ drunk and you talked about Agent Pacci, and Kate, and Commander Voss, and who she was and what happened, and I'm sorry but it just felt like you were talking about _you _too. And then when I left you alone all you could talk about was Gibbs. You were so worried about him. And you should be mad at Kate but you weren't. It seemed like maybe you thought everybody had the right to be himself but you, and that got me really upset, Tony. Then you told Gibbs good night and he wasn't even here..."

Tony steepled his fingers and interrupted, "...and this led you to conclude...what, exactly? You're talking to a DiNozzo, Palmer, and DiNozzos don't set off anybody's gaydar."

The DiNozzo in question was pulling out all the stops, looking at him as though he were a suspect, or a liar, or a specimen. Jimmy felt a wave of humiliation wash over him, and something in him snapped. To his great astonishment he was on his feet and yelling, "It doesn't have anything to do with _gaydar,_ Tony - you _LOVE_ him! A complete _moron_ could have seen it!"

Tony rose just as quickly. "Maybe a complete moron _DID!"_

"That's not fair, Tony! I'm trying to..."

"Palmer, what is your _DEAL? _What makes you think you can talk to me like this!"

"I...I don't have a deal, Tony, that's just it. And you know what? You, all of you, you talk to _me_ any way you want, and you know why? Because I don't have a _deal_. You call me names and treat me like a nerd and I let you because that's exactly who I am... I'm a geek and I love superheroes and the dance and I even love embroidery for crying out loud! I'm the first person who gets asked to leave the room and I don't expect that to change any time soon. And even with all that I'm not afraid you're not going to like me, because it doesn't ma... "

_"Palmer..."_ The other man's voice was suddenly soft, and tired. Jimmy blinked away his surprise and fell silent. Tony paced the room and returned, rubbing a hand through his hair and wrinkling his forehead.

"It's okay, Palmer. You and your new age-y self-acceptance, that's all good, really it is." Jimmy's heart raced as he watched Agent DiNozzo's throat constrict painfully, saw Tony reach a decision and after a long pause, reach out to him with his eyes.

"You're not me, Jimbo," Tony said seriously. "You're not a jock, you're not a cop, and you're not talking about your freaking sexuality."

"But Tony, you _are,_ it's _your_ life..."

"And _my_ life, Palmer, has been nothing _but_ deals, start to finish."

"So...that's it? Tony..." and Jimmy had no idea why he said what he did next. "He...he's not going to think you're as messed up as Voss."

Tony studied the floor and when he looked up Jimmy could have slapped himself for the honest anguish in his friend's eyes. He almost didn't hear the whisper. "I'm more messed up than Voss."

Jimmy licked his lips and shook his head vigorously and repeatedly. "No, Tony, _no_ way! Voss went to all that trouble to be herself but then she killed people. That was _her,_ not you. She was going to shoot you...you could never be that messed up."

"Oh, really? What's more messed up than a closet case?"

"Please don't talk about yourself like that."

"Gibbs can't know." Tony's voice had too much grim resignation in it and Jimmy was spun around by another flash of intuition.

"Tony! What makes you think he doesn't!"

"He _doesn't,_ and he _can't,_ and he _shouldn't,_ because he doesn't know what it's like."

"You can't be certain of that."

"He's been married three times..."

"And divorced. And you pretend to like women..."

"I do like women..."

"Okay, you pretend to _want _women when what you really want is right next to you, every day. How do you know it's not the same for him, that you're not the same?" Jimmy knew Tony had to be getting very tired, so he rushed on. "You think there's no way Gibbs is getting on board, but Tony, if that were true don't you think you'd know it? I'm telling you none of this is settled. If there were nothing coming from his side wouldn't it be a non-issue? I mean you wouldn't even be thinking about it, at all, right? I'm going over what I've seen, Tony, and I've seen you really _look _at him. Maybe you're too busy worrying about it to notice the way he looks at _you._ Will you promise me you'll think about that?"

"Oh for God's sake Palmer..." Tony broke off and cocked his head. "That was a pretty decent speech, actually."

Jimmy was grateful beyond belief that one of them had found a way to turn off the tap, to stem the exhausting flow of tension. "I sound like a goofball."

"Yeah. And no promises."

"Okay."

"And Palmer...Jimmy. Two things."

"Sure, Tony. Anything."

"One. This is not a topic for discussion. I hear any of this from anybody else and they'll never find your body."

"Agreed," and Jimmy wasn't even tempted to laugh.

"Two - why do you care?"

"I - I don't know, Tony." Jimmy coughed because he _was_ tempted to cry, but he smiled weakly and adjusted his glasses instead. "I just do."

* * *

The next few months were an exciting time for Jimmy Palmer. He learned he could keep a secret, and that the secret was safest with him because people thought him such an open book in the first place. He learned that the less he talked the more he saw. He learned that he could keep a friendship by risking it, and it didn't bother him that Tony didn't visit him or talk to him, that he hardly even acknowledged him for weeks. In fact he considered that a good thing and he considered himself quite clever for thinking so. If DiNozzo had been the same it would have meant nothing had changed. Instead, Tony was keeping the promise he never made, without saying a word.

Jimmy also sharpened his investigative and undercover skills. He popped into the bullpen and he appeared inexplicably in Interrogation/Observation, or outside the door to MTAC. His co-workers tended to write this behavior off as youthful attention-seeking, and even Agent Gibbs shooed him away with something approaching affection - some of the time.

His habit of being anywhere, nowhere, and everywhere also made it ridiculously easy to steal time with a dark-eyed agent from legal who was a tiger in the sack, but his true secret agenda would remain unknown to the others for a long time to come. For weeks he saw Agent DiNozzo's anxiety peak in the presence of Agent Gibbs. He accepted this as part of a process and kept his hopes up and his eyes sharp. He felt certain he was the only one who saw Gibbs slowly but surely react, traversing the spectrum from annoyance to puzzlement to what looked like amazed realization. He was sure it didn't register with anyone else when Tony began standing closer to Gibbs, as he had once done. They didn't know what Jimmy knew, so it was all the same to them.

For a bit Gibbs would become more angry or Tony more brooding, but then it leveled out and only Jimmy didn't offer crackpot theories about the men's individual moods. One morning he saw the backs of their hands brush in the elevator. Later that day Tony caught his eye in passing without moving a single muscle in his face, and Jimmy smiled to beat the band.

Then there came the night Tony's car never left the Yard.

By the time Tony finally appeared at his door one evening, Jimmy felt they were in many respects very different people from who they had been those many months before. Tony smiled with an easy grace and let himself in with a flourish and a six-pack rather than a groan and an armload of hard liquor. Jimmy didn't stammer, he winked and shook Tony's free hand.

"Wanna start with coffee tonight, Palmer?" Tony set the six-pack down. It wasn't a necessity, only an option. "It's been a while."

"Sure. I'll go make that coffee now, Tony. Then I'm going to come back out." DiNozzo raised an eyebrow and motioned him on. "When that happens, when I come back out...? If you're still where I can see you...?"

Tony's grin grew wide and Jimmy matched it. "We can talk. Your call."

**:-)**


	4. Abby and Ducky

**AN: **Thank you to everyone supporting this thing. You make me very happy! This chapter takes place after the first season, not long after Ch. 3: More Jimmy. There is now Tibbs, and the club is forming.** Spoilers: **Not Really.** Warnings:** High sugar content. Simultaneous POV's in the first section.** Disclaimer: **Still have a day job.** Feedback: Please? =) **Cacky

* * *

**What the Team Saw - Chapter Four: Abby and Ducky**

Gibbs breathed a gentle order, murmured it against the nipple he was sucking.

"Come, Tony."

The younger man arched all but silently under his hands, then after a moment managed a lazy smile and a breathless 'holy crap.' "Good morning to you too. Mmm...thanks?

"No problem, anything else?" Smirking, of course.

"Uh huh, this."

Tony couldn't decide where to attack Gibbs first so he settled for all over as sunlight crested the sill of the open window. It was early summer, and though the day would soon become hot the dawn was cool and bright with promise. Later, downstairs, coffee and breakfast got made in between kisses, smiles, and a whole lot of general fiddling with each other.

"You always eat this much in the morning, DiNozzo?"

"I work hard, remember?"

Gibbs' answering grin turned feral as Tony colored. Each was acutely aware of how well last night's exertions had worked out, and an exhilarating tension hummed in the spaces between them as they idled away their first full morning off together. Up until now, one would go to the other's place and eventually leave, either because of work or on general principles, but last night the decision to abandon Tony's car at the Navy Yard had been abrupt, urgent even, and the knowledge had been delicious - the younger man would be staying. The pay-off in the bedroom had left both Tony and Gibbs a bit giddy and the morning was shaping up just fine as well. Gibbs was enjoying watching DiNozzo swing back and forth between shyness and what seemed exactly like undiluted joy, and Tony for his part thought the older man looked smug, that is when Gibbs wasn't spacing out just staring at him.

Nothing was mentioned about when or whether they would part for the day, and it was this newness, this threshold feeling, that had them nervous and happy and cracking beers before lunchtime. Tony studied the books on Gibbs' shelves and Gibbs studied Tony. They walked around outside, picked up leaves, pruned and watered. Tony pretended to know what he was doing and Gibbs almost pretended to believe him as the younger man performed small tasks and admired the hedge.

"This is nice, Gibbs - doing all this yourself."

"Not one to let another man mow my yard, Tony."

"Good to know." Tony smiled, because Gibbs said the most thrilling things.

It wasn't yet noon when the two went back inside, leaving their grass-dampened shoes and socks just inside the door. The coffee table became a buffet of sandwiches, chips, and more beer. Tony had borrowed a pair of long, loose gym-shorts and Gibbs found himself becoming fascinated by the younger man's knees, of all things - a pair of healthy, perfectly bendable knees. He hadn't thought about the boat all day. The crappy black-and-white buzzed in the background as Tony brushed a crumb or two off Gibbs' shirt. Not for the first time, the warmth of that chest ignited his fingertips and raced up his arms, bringing a flush to his neck.

And thus it was that neither noticed the silhouette until it was standing before them - overalls, tool belt, hardhat, and pigtails. A long moment stretched out before everyone spoke at once.

"Gibbs?"  
"Hey Abbs."  
"Oh look, it's Abby!"  
"Um, hi Tony."

For the first time anyone could remember, the young woman wasn't talking a mile a minute, so Gibbs took the reins.

"I didn't forget, Abbs. Habitat. Two hammers and a saw. Be right back."

He _had_ forgotten, but it was easily remedied and he headed for the basement despite DiNozzo's don't-leave-me-here look - and if Tony thought a barrage of questions was forthcoming he was mistaken. Abby had misplaced her voice and was clearly somewhere in her own head. Gibbs was back in a flash with the promised tools which he placed in her unmoving hands.

"Thanks, Bossman, you're the best," Abby said, recovering some of her poise. Gibbs reclaimed his spot on the couch and cocked an eyebrow.

"Got time for lunch, Abbs?"

Smiling, Tony demonstrated the concept by shoving a chip in his mouth and the young woman's beautiful face finally took on some of its usual animation. She smiled in turn but bypassed the lunch question, never taking her saucer eyes off Tony. Her voice trembled slightly.

"Tony...where is your _car?"_

Anthony DiNozzo and Jethro Gibbs looked at each other and burst out laughing.

* * *

After Abby left Gibbs looked at Tony significantly over a sip of beer.

"So that's one?"

"Two, actually." Tony grimaced and instinctively leaned out of head-slap range. "Palmer."

_"Palmer?"_ No slap - Gibbs merely picked up a sandwich and shook his head as he considered the ubiquitous Autopsy Gremlin. "Sly dog, that one. What did you threaten him with?"

"Nothing! Well...ok, his life, but... "

"But what?"

"You seem pretty sanguine about this, Gibbs."

Jethro shrugged and raised a hand to Tony's shoulder, giving it a squeeze, and his trademark smirk was both amused and reassuring.

"Matter of time."

* * *

Something was wrong with Abby. Dr. Mallard always enjoyed the young scientist's rapid-fire speech and enthusiastic view of the world. He relished the tales of her odd assortment of friends and the delight she took in helping others. They had dinner together almost every weekend and they rarely talked shop or gossiped about their co-workers. This night they were at a restaurant instead of Ducky's home, and though the young woman had quickly eaten a large meal and slurped two colorful, oversized cocktails, she seemed subdued. It was a cliche, but he could see the wheels turning.

Abigail, are you going to tell me what is on your mind? Miss Sciuto...?"

"Ducky, I think I surprised Gibbs and Tony."

Dr. Mallard wasn't sure what to make of such a statement on its face, nor could he imagine why it might account for the marked change in Abby's behavior - she was waiting for him to say something.

"Well, you can be a very surprising young woman, Abigail...why are you upset?"

"I'm not upset, I'm...overwhelmed? I don't know - this isn't normal for me."

"My dear girl, whatever did you do?"

"Oh!" Abby said, startled. _"I_ didn't do anything! I mean I didn't _do_ anything. Except I did, I borrowed two hammers and a saw, that was pre-arranged, but... if I'm right, this is _huge_ and I can't just go around talking about it."

"Abby." Dr. Mallard looked at her sternly but not unkindly. "You are doing nothing of the sort. You are speaking with me, alone, and you have yet to tell me anything."

Abby took a deep breath and seemed to gather herself. "Okay. What happened is...I went to Bossman's house and I just walked in like I always do, like everybody does, and I'm almost completely one-hundred-percent certain I surprised them, _them._ Gibbs. And Tony."

Ducky grew still and searched Abby's face for the meaning in her words. He locked gazes with her, lowered his voice and spoke very slowly indeed. "When you say 'them,' my dear, am I to take it you mean...?"

"Yes, Ducky!" Abby nodded, both excited and solemn almost to the point of tears. "Gibbs _with_ Tony."

"Oh, my!" Ducky sat back in the comfortable booth and took a moment to lose himself in thought regarding his best friend - and a Very Special Agent. When he brought his focus back to Abby, her eyes had narrowed, but only a little.

"Ducky, can it be true? Is it possible? I mean, I see them at work, and they're good for each other, and cute, and it makes so many kinds of sense, and that's great and everything, but it's not the same as actually..."

Dr. Mallard leaned forward again, having decided to proceed. "Would it help if I were to play devil's advocate?"

"Oh God yes, please!"

"Very well, then. Please begin. What did you see?"

"Um, okay. Tony at Gibbs' house."

"Anthony looks up to Jethro. Visiting his home would not be unusual."

"At eleven in the morning? Barefoot?"

Ducky arched an eyebrow. "It _is_ summer, my dear..."

"They were eating lunch, side by side, on the couch."

"Also customary. Jethro's kitchen table is quite dreary."

"Oh, Ducky!" Abby wailed, spurred on by his arguments. "That room was light-years from dreary! They were grinning _stupidly_ at each other, and Tony was blushing and their hair was messed up and they didn't even notice me for like ten seconds, and I don't think there's any way Tony _owns_ a USMC T-shirt, and Gibbs offered me a sandwich like he didn't care, but I couldn't stay and then they started cracking up, and I never saw, I mean, Tony's car..."

Ducky pulled a smirk worthy of Leroy Jethro Gibbs on a good day. "...is still at the Navy Yard."

"DUCKY!" Abby almost screamed, betrayed. "You knew!"

"No, Abby," and the young woman's tears began to flow when she saw the mist in the doctor's eyes. "Hoped, only hoped."

* * *

Within about a week Dr. Mallard had satisfied his requirements with a thorough if surreptitious examination of the Gibbs and Tony question. He knew he was too interested to disregard his bias, but he was also fully fluent in Gibbs, and the man's body language had been a dead give-away. That, and Jethro's face was quite expressive once you knew what you were looking at. Tony was just plain happy, in a way that contradicted much of the pain Ducky had sensed from the man who seemed compelled to behave like a boy.

Mr. Palmer's hovering over Agent DiNozzo was mildly distracting but easily dealt with - Jimmy idolized Tony, and he stammered at the mere mention of Gibbs, so Ducky ensured there were supplies to be counted and pipettes to be cleaned. There was no point in pulling the young and somewhat hapless assistant in over his head.

Abby supplied a stream of informative emails, and the doctor had to admit her trendy language was every bit as solid as his psychological profiling when it came to compiling emotional data. She no doubt was dying to run bits of Tony and Gibbs through Major Mass Spec, or better yet her DNA equipment, but since there was no excuse for it she settled for an empirical match-maker's shorthand of her own design - ISX for "eye sex" and MV for "monster vibes." LTR, or "I think I need to leave the room," was a mite subjective for Ducky's taste but got the point across.

The doctor chose the field of battle and made certain his first volley was a gentle one, lobbed airily at Gibbs after a routine discussion of evidence down in Autopsy.

"Jethro, I must say you are looking well this morning! To what may I attribute the spring in your step?"

Ducky was aware that Gibbs was never fooled by such overtures and that he would play along in the hope of staving off the actual question.

"It's a nice day, Duck. Nothing wrong with enjoying a nice day."

"Wrong? I should say not! My conjecture would be that something is rather exceptionally right."

Gibbs' shoulders slumped and he turned back to Ducky with a look of suffering. It was defensive move number two and it was right on schedule, so the doctor carried on blithely, "I would even venture to say that love is in the air!"

"Duck!" Gibbs' brows were ferocious, but the older man was immune to the entire arsenal of glares, and he continued without pause, only now he became serious and he held Gibbs' gaze with kindness rather than glee.

"Jethro, are you in fact seeing someone again?"

Much to Dr. Mallard's surprise Gibbs didn't turn on his heel and flee the room in a huff but instead appeared to be caught by the words. He looked into the near distance before responding with a bemused grin and the certainty of wonder.

"Nope, Duck, I'm seeing someone for the first time."

The contest was over in that moment, and Ducky let a long pause expire before he smiled with all the grace of his years.

"And young Anthony?"

Gibbs' eyes went very wide but he held his place and cleared his throat, glancing downward and then up again, saying only, "...is good, Duck. He's good."

"He is in good company, Jethro," the Doctor replied. "And among friends."

Gibbs nodded and finally turned to go. When he got back to the bullpen he stomped over to Dinozzo's desk. Tony looked up in alarm to see Gibbs rolling his eyes, but the older man didn't look_ entirely_ displeased, and Tony realized he was indicating something with fingers, for his sight only.

"Ducky?" Tony asked quietly. Gibbs gave confirmation with his eyes, and Tony shrugged before the moment could draw out any further.

"Okay, then." He grinned brightly. "Three."

**=)**


End file.
